NEW YORK—One can be so hung up on the minute details of a particular incident that they miss the big picture. This point is brought home in whimsically heart-tugging Big Fish (book by John August, music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and Columbia Pictures film screenplay by John August) at Broadway’s Neil Simon Theatre.
Edward Bloom (Norbert Leo Butz) is a retired traveling salesman from the South who lived most of his life on the road having one fantastic adventure after another, or so he claims.
These include encounters with a witch, a werewolf, and a giant; working at a circus, being a local hero in the small town of his birth, and meeting Sandra (Kate Baldwin), the girl of his dreams, who eventually becomes his wife.
There was also the time when, during his soldiering days, he saved a general from an assassin armed with a deadly blow gun.
However, Edward’s stories don’t go over well with his son, Will (Bobby Steggert), who stopped believing them when he was 6. Will’s habit of looking at the logical side of things long ago led to a breach between father and son, which comes to a head when Will is about to get married to his girlfriend, Josephine (Krystal Joy Brown).
When it’s revealed that Edward is dying of cancer, Will begins trying to understand his father’s stories for the first time to hopefully connect with his dad before time runs out.
However, when Will uncovers evidence of a secret life his father may have led, Will finds himself facing truths he may not want to hear.
Told partly in flashback, with Zachary Unger playing the role of young Will, Big Fish offers a wonderful look at a man who has one eye firmly fixed on the road ahead and the other looking backward to hearth and home, all the while firmly believing the truth is what one makes of it.
The score by Lippa is enjoyable with “Be the Hero,” “Out There on the Road,” and “Fight the Dragons” all touching on the special qualities life has to offer those brave enough to seek them out.
The songs do start to feel repetitive at times and not at all hummable, but overall are pleasing to hear.
The book also has a few bumps. Some of the tales are not as interesting as others that have come before.
Butz has a field day with the part, throwing himself wholeheartedly into the role of a gleeful spinner of tall tales, as well as a loving husband and frustrated father who would love to be able to pass on his viewpoint of life to his son. At the same time, Edward also has a deeply private side, one unwilling to face some of the things he did in the past and the people he left behind.
Baldwin is fine as Sandra, a woman who loves her husband enough to understand his need to be constantly on the move and resigned enough to put up with his endless stories. Through it all she plays peacemaker between her husband and son.
Baldwin also has a fine singing voice, particularly with the very emotional “I Don’t Need a Roof,” which she sings to the dying Edward.
Steggert is very good in the somewhat one-dimensional role of Will. His no-nonsense manner makes a nice contrast to his freewheeling father.
Ironically, when finally confronting the truth he’s been seeking, he tries to sidestep it for as long as he can, proving he’s more like his dad than he thought. Of all the characters in Big Fish, Will is the one who changes the most.
Brown works well as Josephine, someone far more willing than her husband to believe Edward’s stories.
Kirsten Scott offers a nice bit of poignancy as the girl from Edward’s past, while Brad Oscar, Ryan Andes, and Ciara Renèe all do good work as some of the people Edward encounters in his travels.
Susan Stroman’s direction is strong, nicely handling the show’s transitional moments from comedy to drama to music and back again. Her work as a choreographer is also good, particularly in the show’s early scenes.
Costumes by William Ivey Long are a lot of fun—especially considering the larger than life characters he has to dress. Lighting by Donald Holder and scenic work by Julian Crouch wonderfully set the place and atmosphere of the story, ranging from a swamp to a field of daffodils. Orchestrations by Larry Hochman are excellent.
Not completely perfect, “Big Fish” is presented in a way guaranteed to warm your heart and bring a smile to your face. It is a lovely tale about a man in search of the next thing around the bend who manages to touch people’s lives along the way.
Also in the cast are Anthony Pierini, Ben Crawford, JC Montgomery, Alex Brightman, Sarrah Strimel, Bryn Dowling, Robin Campbell, Lara Seibert, Tally Sessions, Cary Tedder, Bree Branker, Jason Lee Garrett, Leah Hofmann, Angie Schworer, and Joshua Buscher.
Big Fish
Neil Simon Theatre
250 West 52nd Street
Tickets: 877-250-2929 or visit BigFishTheMusical.com
Running Time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Closes: Dec. 29
Judd Hollander is the New York correspondent for the London publication The Stage.
